Rockwell and Sons: the real deal

American BBQ and burgers have been an obvious trend in Melbourne for a number of years now.

Rockwell and Sons are considered some of the best when it comes to doing meat and American fare very well. Trading Plates recently caught up with head chef and co-owner Casey Walls to talk juicy burgers, mouth-watering ribs and crunchy tots- plus everything in between.

Lamb ribs

How did you come up with the concept for Rockwell and Sons?

The concept for Rockwell and Sons came about as we wanted to bridge the gap between fine dining and a pub counter meal. Things have changed a bit since we opened but we love what we do.What is your background in food?

I come from the South (North Carolina) and spent a number of years cooking in NYC at Spotted Pig, Perilla, Le Cirque and Rouge Tomate and then moved to Melbourne and started working for Andrew McConnell at Cutler and Co.

Rockwell, is a very Australian restaurant, but is influenced by my upbringing and work experiences.How are meals and recipes devised?

Chicken skin crackling

Recipes are developed in a couple of ways. We draw inspiration from a lot of places, say trips, produce or homesickness. We build a recipe from something familiar quite easily. If we want to make a dish and we don’t know how, we ask friends for suggestions or just trial and error until we hit it. Some recipes exist as a natural linear progression from another recipe or techniques we’ve used in the past.

Where do you source your produce from? What things are important to you when choosing ingredients?

We use a lot of different companies for so many different things. Our most important issue when we are using a purveyor is consistency. Consistency is key to our success and our mission statement. It helps when we work with awesome people who have the same goals.

How often does the menu change and why?

Rodeo Burger

Some things never change and others change with the season. The vegetables dishes rotate quite frequently, while say, the Double Patty Smash Burger has never left.What are the most popular things on your menu?

The most popular menu item is the Double Patty Smash. I’ve made thousands and thousands and I never get tired of it. Drinks range from the sodas that we make in house to whatever craft beer offerings we have on tap. At the moment we’re really loving the Enigma Pilsner by Bridge Road.